FLATS FOR SMALL FAMILIES

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25549, 17 July 1948, Page 8

FLATS FOR SMALL FAMILIES

LOWER HUTT SUGGESTION GOVERNMENT’S POLICY DEFINED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 16. “The Government’s present policy is to provide housing accommodation to meet the needs of all sections of the community,” said the Minister of Works (Mr R. Semple), commenting on the recommendation of the Lower Hutt City Council that the Government should erect a number of big blocks of flats in the State housing areas to cater for small families. The Minister said the Department of Housing Construction was building State houses to cater for both large and small families in the following proportions; one-bedroom units, 5 per cent.; two-bedroom units, 20 per cent.; two-bedroom units, plus sleeping porch, 15 per cent.; three-bedroom units, 52 per cent.; four-bpdroom units and over, 8 per cent. It was generally recognised, said Mr Semple, that big blocks of flats were not the best places in which to bring up children. A number of blocks of flats had, however, been built by the department to cater for the housing needs of childless couples and elderly people. The present shortage of steel and cement made it impossible for the department to proceed with several proposals for flats which it had in mind.